# 1981 USSR Chess Championship

The 1981 Soviet Chess Championship was the 49th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 27 November to 22 December 1981 in Bishkek. The title was won by Garry Kasparov and Lev Psakhis. Semifinals took place in Bălți, Cheliabinsk, Nikolayev and Saratov; The First League (also qualifying to the final) was held at Volgodonsk.

## Qualifying
### Semifinals

Semifinals took place at Bălți, Cheliabinsk, Nikolayev and Saratov in July 1981. The winners respectively were Viktor Gavrikov, Leonid Yudasin, Vladimir Tukmakov and Georgy Agzamov gaining a direct promotion to the final.

### First League

The top five qualified for the final.
Volgodonsk, October 1981 :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| 1 | Boris Gulko | 2590 | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 10½ |
| 2 | Adrian Mikhalchishin | 2535 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10 |
| 3 | Gennadij Timoscenko | 2510 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10 |
| 4 | Josif Dorfman | 2505 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 5 | Evgeny Sveshnikov | 2535 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9½ |
| 6 | Yuri Anikaev | 2425 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 9 |
| 7 | Zurab Azmaiparashvili | | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9 |
| 8 | Nukhim Rashkovsky | 2535 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9 |
| 9 | Evgeni Vasiukov | 2545 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 9 |
| 10 | Bukhuti Gurgenidze | 2490 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 11 | Andrei Kharitonov | | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 8½ |
| 12 | Alex Yermolinsky | 2455 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8½ |
| 13 | Sergey Gorelov | 2415 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 8 |
| 14 | Yevgeniy Vladimirov | 2445 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| 15 | Alexander Chernin | 2470 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | 7½ |
| 16 | Eduard Gufeld | 2515 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 7 |
| 17 | Elizbar Ubilava | 2455 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Arkady Novopashin | 2380 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | 4½ |

## Final

49th USSR Chess Championship :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| 1 | Garry Kasparov | 2630 | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 12½ |
| 2 | Lev Psakhis | 2500 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 12½ |
| 3 | Oleg Romanishin | 2595 | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | Vladimir Tukmakov | 2480 | 0 | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9½ |
| 5 | Viktor Gavrikov | 2365 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 9½ |
| 6 | Georgy Agzamov | | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 7 | Alexander Beliavsky | 2620 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 9 |
| 8 | Artur Yusupov | 2575 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8½ |
| 9 | Josif Dorfman | 2505 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8½ |
| 10 | Evgeny Sveshnikov | 2535 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 8 |
| 11 | Vitaly Tseshkovsky | 2530 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 8 |
| 12 | Viktor Kupreichik | 2575 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 8 |
| 13 | Sergey Dolmatov | 2545 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 8 |
| 14 | Leonid Yudasin | 2365 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| 15 | Boris Gulko | 2590 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | 6½ |
| 16 | Gennadi Kuzmin | 2545 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | 6½ |
| 17 | Gennadij Timoscenko | 2510 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | ½ | 6 |
| 18 | Adrian Mikhalchishin | 2535 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | 5½ |